Return to Castle Wolfenstein: The Wolf pack
by Phantom R.D.S. Foxx
Summary: An alternate timeline within the 2001 classic. It follows three German soldiers that need to escape the Vaterland's madness. Cover image will follow. Rated M for language and described gore.
1. a Different side of the story

Hello fellow Wolfenstein fans. My name is Phantom R.D.S. Foxx. Officially, I'm a writer for Star Fox fanfics but I've decided to turn my attention on Wolfenstein for a while. This story is, as the title, suggests, an alternate reality based on the three characters shown in the cutscene when you enter the catacombs in the first levels of Return to Castle Wolfenstein. I hope you enjoy. **Be advised, there is some untranslated German in here.**  


**Chapter 1: a Different side of the story  
**

The fire from multiple torches give the ancient Wolfenstein catacombs an ominous gleam. The air is cold and feels tense, as if presences are running through it. The brick walls feel claustrophobic around three normal German soldiers. Armed with nothing more than an automatic MP40's and a semi-automatic Luger pistol as a side arm. Though these seem like potent weapons, the enemies they've encountered have shown that the 9x18 MM ammunition is inadequate.

The three stand in a circle facing each other in the midst of a T-intersection. Charrführer Xander van Acker, Obergefreiter Günther Mencken and Soldat Aiolos Zervas. Both look battered.

Xander, a 35-year old man from Holland, a neighboring country to the Vaterland. His helmet has the SS insignia on the right side. He has had experience on the Russian battlefield, fighting in Stalingrad until he was shot during the first attacks. Unwilling to surrender his service, he applied to the Wolfenstein SS and became a Charrführer with the ability to give orders to his two best friends. But didn't apply for the Vaterland's honor. He did because he didn't want to be separated from his friends. A very persistent man.

Günther is 33-year old and has a full-grown, brown beard and moustache that's connected to it. He served with Xander ever since the capture of Holland in 1940. He wears no helmet, simply because he doesn't trust equipment that doesn't do what it needs to do. Xander's helmet didn't protect him from a bullet when a Russian machine gun round nearly scalped him. He came back with Xander and remained at his side, joining the Wolfenstein SS as well.

Aiolos is the newest member to Xander's squad. Since the attack on Greece in 1941, he applied as a 29-year old volunteer for the Wehrmacht. His mother didn't agree with that at all. Günther got him out after 10 days of him just sobbing in his room, not wanting to confront his own mother. He wears a simple cap, showing that he's without a doubt the Soldat of this squad. He too fought along Xander in Stalingrad. He has a fairly large blood stain on the right side of his face, covering the entire cheek; He was the first to have a close encounter with those beings.

At the road towards the left, there lies a dismembered fellow soldier. His left arm has been torn off and his intestates lie all over the hallway's floor. Where his killer is, is unknown. This only enhances the spooky mood lingering here.

'It is like a slaughterhouse in here.' comments Aiolos disgusted. 'Uurgh…' He has to hold back a gag reflex to keep his manhood in check. A loud rumble in his stomach can be heard.

'I know. These things are everywhere.' proclaims Günther to which Xander gives a recalcitrant grunt. He just can't believe that this can all be true. It's like a nightmare. And he got his men into it.

'What are they? And… where do they come from?' wonders Aiolos nervous. He almost reaches for the Kar98K on his back, seemingly the only weapon effective enough to down one in just three to four shots. One extra to turn them to dust.

'Don't ask me. No one ever tells me anything.' says Xander a bit agitated. Suddenly, a desperate scream for help sounds through the hallway. Xander and the rest turn to towards, only to realize it's too far away and too late. They hear blood flowing with the screaming slowly degrading into gurgling and finally silence, only interrupted by frequent crunch and munch noises.

'Mein Gott! Did you hear that?' asks Aiolos on the verge of running for his life. He checks the hallway to the exit to assure none of those creatures are coming out there.

'Ja!' confirms Günther equally scared, checking the right side. 'And I wish I hadn't!'

'We have to get out of here.' says Xander, something to which all two can agree on. 'Follow me back to the entrance. Aiolos, your rifle. You take point.'

Aiolos grabs the rifle from his back and aims for the right hallway. He swallows hard as fear breaks down his bravery bit by bit. The sight of that being, reaching and clawing for him. Someone else took the blow that should have been his.

Guilt. It gnaws on him, but not as picky as ignoring Charrführer van Acker's orders. He proceeds on, leading the team towards a small excavation site. Four pillars hold up the ceiling, but didn't hold up the ladder leading towards the exit. It lies split in two on the ground.

'What!?' exclaims Aiolos worrisome. 'The ladder… it's destroyed!'

'T-they have sealed us in here!' panics Günther to Xander's irritation.

'Günther! Man up for God's sake!'

'Entschuldige Charrführer. But… aren't you afraid?'

'Silence…' orders Xander as more screams of agony echo through the hallways. He wishes not to answer that question. Of course he's terrified. He has seen cruelty, but this is different business. For his squad, he needs to swallow down his fear as the bitter pill it is. 'I will not stand for this!' he says powerful with renewed energy and willpower. 'Take positions everyone. We are holding this area.'

They move towards the back of the room. Aiolos takes cover behind a flipped table and readies his weapon. Xander kneels down near a set of munitions, in case any of his team members need any. Günther is the closest to the door, kneeling down near the left pillar.

'Get ready. They are coming!' says Aiolos with a panicked whiff at the end of his sentence. He takes one final look at Xander, who already aimed down his sight. Xander breaths calmly, keeping his heart rate down for the best accuracy as the MP40 submachine gun can provide. He turns back and places the Kar98K on the table, making it act like a bipod.

Out of the hallway, faint stomping can be heard. It's coming closer, at the nerving rate. It's like whatever is out there is teasing them. The only thing missed is a ghostly voice that proclaims 'We're coming for you…' in a haunting manner.

Xander sees the already drowned morale of his men wither even further. 'Show yourself you devil spawn!' he calls out towards whatever is inside that hallway. His wish is granted: two skeletons, armed with battle axes while wearing horned helmets and shields with a sharp spike in the middle charge at them. Behind them, several undead.

'FIRE!' orders Xander. Günter and Aiolos have no trouble in doubting that order. The first volley of fire fails when the bullets simply deflect of their shields. Not even the heavier Mauser cartridge of Aiolos' weapon is powerful enough.

'Günther get back here!' orders Xavier as he stands near Aiolos in a supporting fashion. 'I'll distract them!'

While Xander hauls the attention of the skeleton warriors towards him by gracing them with a rain of bullets, Günther runs from his position to join his squad behind the table. 'What do we do Xander? This going the wrong way!'

'We can't hold it like this!' panics Aiolos as he ducks before a deflected bullet pierces his eye. 'They are with too many!'

'Just keep firing. Thin out those without a shield!' Aiolos does so, with a little contempt. It has little success but it works better. Xander turns to a private conversation with Günther. 'Günther. We need to take these monsters out. We go around the pillars and flank their rear. Are you with me?'

'Of course Xander.' says Günther supportive. 'Glad to see you back in action Charrführer.'

'Sigh. It was my fault for getting you in this mess in first place. Right! Let's do this!'

They rise simultaneously and move around the skeletons now in the middle of the site. Once they are on the other side, they aim for the exposed backs of the skeletons and open fire. Now the ammunition has effect. Dead skin and ramshackle bones puncture and shatter the internal skeletons, turning them into collective heap of bullets. Finally, after emptying the entire 32-round magazine, the skeletons and undead alike utter a final grunt before falling to their knees. They plant their faces into the ground, to which all three exhale relieved.

'Well done Günther.' pants Xander as he drops his MP40 and grabs his knees, trying to reclaim his breath. It was a rushed action and everything could have happened. Unable to see where these monsters where exactly, they could have been just around the pillar where the table is close to. His head could have been chopped off, leaving the Aiolos' right flank exposed. God knows what else could have happened to him. Günther would follow soon after.

'Thank you Charrführer. That was quite distressing to be honest.' He was bend in a similar fashion as Xander but rises faster. He always said it was his age that allowed him to do that but it's just that he's an action junkie, always looking for the riskiest of ways. Xander's plan fitted perfectly. 'I don't know why I was so ängstlich to begin with.' he sniggers awkwardly.

Xander turns to Aiolos, whose weapon is pouring smoke out of the barrel. The internal magazine is empty but his finger seems frozen within the firing animation.

'It's over my Greek friend.' he assures.

'Hunh? What is?' rambles Aiolos snapping out of his trance. He was so focused on keeping those things at a distance that he didn't even notice Xander and Günther moving positions. He falls to his knees, exhaling once more before lifting his hand up in the air, showing a proud thumbs up.

Xander and Günther come towards the table, coming together again. Xander orders him to round up the undead by turning them to dust, preventing from rising again.

'What's the plan Charrführer?' asks Günther, his trigger finger itching.

Xavier looks at Aiolos and checks his own state of being. He's alive but mentally a little stirred. With no exit, the situation seems hopeless.

'We stay here for a while.' he suggests more than he orders it. It's improvised, because he doesn't know what he needs to do. He can't let either Günther or Aiolos get air of that. That would be the final nail in the coffin that is the weak morale.

Luckily, both seem very fine with it. Aiolos falls on his ass, not even caring that the Kar98K falls on his chest with him. He's just happy to be alive. Günther lies down on the ground, staring at the ceiling. He holds his MP40 by the pistol grip but released the magazine. Xander leans against a pillar, pondering about the next move.

*These men… are the best I've ever seen in my entire service. They do this for the Vaterland…* he thinks looking at Günther combing with his hand through his short hair. *… for their family…* as he looks at Aiolos who grabs a photo out of his inner pocket. He takes his cap off out of respect and preaches some Greek. *… but more importantly for me. They would go through Hell and back if it meant that I was save. Heheheh. Right back at them. I need to get them out of this Hell first though...*

Meager minutes pass by in which Günther whistled a fine tune that they've listened to at their time in Russia, when things were still on the positive for the Wehrmacht. They were thoroughly plastered and started to dance a traditional Russian folk dance. Of course, to mock them all. They got the entire café to join along.

Moans of complaint mixed with nostalgia came from both Xander and Aiolos. Both can remember what they did that night. Urinating against a guard post close to the German Governor of that part of conquered Russia. Wreaking havoc through the local center, trying to seduce the _шлюхи__ (_shlyukhi) with slurring German tainted Russian and of course enjoying more booze and vodka then a liver can take.

'Those whores probably had crabs all over anyway.' comments Aiolos insulting. Both Xander and Günther can get along with that.

'Ja. If you went down on one of them, I'm sure it would look exactly the same as this place right here.' he continues.

'Not to forget that those monster might also pour out of those hairy cracks. HA!' gives Xander as a final word, completing the collective insult.

Unfortunately for them, the innocent laughing that the expensive of Russian whores they didn't nail is disturbed by struggling and cramped grunts coming from above, where the exit is.

'What was that?' Günther already aims for what is up there. But Xander gestures to lower his weapon and remain quiet. As Aiolos tries to stand up, he signals him to stay down.

'We'll remain in the dark. The more we are, the better.' he whispers to the two as he looks up. The struggling is getting closer.

'Piece of shit!' he hears coming from above in an American accent. It's followed by a loud scream and sound of biting through flesh and bone. With a lot ruckus, a man in American uniform plummets down towards the ground with an undead gnawing away in his left shoulder.

'Charrführer! Pass auf!' yells Günther as he pushes Xander away from the falling soldier before backing off himself. With a loud thud, he crashes on the floor beneath him, possibly shredding his spine. If he wasn't dead already, he is now.

'Danke Günther.' thanks Xander a little shaken. He dusts himself off and turns to the undead. It's chewing away the American's flesh undisturbed. He didn't even notice the three. But Aiolos certainly did and fires a round right into the empty skull of the creature. It collapses and explodes violently after another shot from the same rifle.

'That's that!' calls Aiolos flat out. 'You can dine in Hell! Hopefully Charon will take your wretched soul and let it drown in the Styx piece of scum!' He falls on his ass again, exhaling forcefully. It was an eruption of adrenaline he didn't see coming. Neither did he want it.

'Well done Zervas.' compliments Günter impressed. Xander remains silent about it and bends over the American. He grabs his dog tags and reads the name out loud.

'William Joseph Blazkowicz.' he reads out. 'A Polish sergeant in service of the American OSA.' He disrespectfully plucks the dog tags off his neck and rises with the tags in his hand for Günther to see. 'This is the man who has raised trouble inside the castle he was imprisoned in.'

'The one that was captured along with that other American. The one who would not speak.' adds Günther.

'This one won't speak either.' contributes Aiolos a little quasi. From his voice, Xander can hear that he doesn't want to stay here anymore. The eyes of his friend lost a certain sham that was there before. The Greek rises and grabs his Kar98K with him. 'Can't we just get out of here?' he says, emptying what's on the heart.

Xander turns to where the monsters came from. They were far behind the others who went in to guard this area. Maybe there are survivors around here. Who know a way out? No matter if it's through the church, as long as they can get out of here.

'You're right Aiolos. We really have to get out of here. Günther, collect your stuff. We are getting out of here.' he commands as he walks ahead to get his MP40 from the ground. He gestures Aiolos to throw him the magazine currently in his MP40, since he doesn't want to let go of his trusty Kar98K. Meanwhile, Günther can't believe what Xander said.

'That's against orders Charrführer. We are supposed to stay here. As much as I hate it… it's the order of the Vaterland.'

'What did this Vaterland ever do for you Günther?' asks Xavier expecting an honest answer. Not a given one by the endless propaganda machine, but from Günther's real opinion. To that, Günther can only accept it. He has no idea what else then pain his service for the Vaterland has given him.

'Wiederum frage ich um entschuldigung Herr Charrführer.' apologizes Günther a little elaborate. Xavier gestures him to man up a little before Aiolos pads him on the shoulder whilst passing by.

'Come on beardman.' he jokes a little. 'We're leaving.'

'You're just eifersüchtig du Stinkmorchel!' calls Günther after the leaving Aiolos.

'Aufsteigen Günther. There's time enough to be jealous once were out of here.' comments Xavier taking point. Günther follows behind Aiolos who seems a little more relaxed now that they have direction that will also lead them out of here.

That was chapter 1. Hopefully Blazkowitz's death isn't too severe for the community to handle. But seeing how other stories don't neccessary follow him, I think I have room to play it around a little. Glad you read all the way to the end and hopefully I'll see you at the next update.


	2. The humanity!

Chapter 2 of The Wolf pack. Enjoy as we delve deeper into the catacombs...  


**Chapter 2: The humanity!**

'Hey! Komm hier! You have to open this gate!' yells Xander as he peeks through the bars of the closed gate after he heard someone scream behind them. He and the other two tried to open it but the weight of the gate and the mechanism behind it wouldn't allow that. Xander looks over a thin plus shaped intersection, with the actual intersection in the middle. Pillars are placed closely to each other, just packed enough to prevent him from seeing the other roads.

From the left, a terrified German soldier firing his MP40 at two undead comes in his vision. He wears a normal helmet and has two belts forming an X on his stomach and a backpack on his back. The belts are packed with Stielhandgranate and the backpack might be packed too. He was the one screaming for help as she desperately rambles and curses as those creatures simply wouldn't die.

He heard Xander's yell and turns his frightened face towards him. Some hope returns to him when he points at the two undead creatures that are coming for his flesh. Xander got the message and orders Günther and Aiolos to take care of them. He joins in as well.

They do that, having tremendous effect on the attacking creatures. The combined salvo's of Xander and Günther fills one with lead while the other's skull blows apart after when Aiolos' Mauser fired just one shot. With both undead down on the ground, the other soldier finishes the job.

'Are you okay?' asks Aiolos. The soldier wipes some sweat from his forehead and exhales relieved that he sees someone walking that doesn't want to kill him.

'That was too close.' he says to himself before turning to Aiolos. 'Y-yes. I'm fine… thank you. If it weren't it for you three, I would have been torn by those monsters.'

'Can you help us get this door open? With the four of us together… that gives us more chance to survive in here.' claims Xander. The soldier agrees quickly and runs towards the gate. He grabs the underside of it along with the other three.

Xander starts the countdown as his friends are lined up and ready for it. 'Ein… zwei… drei… Aufheben!'

The four puts their full potential into trying to lift the gate, but without any result. It doesn't even budge, let alone shudder when Günther kicks against once they give up on it. Aiolos' hands are fire-red and burn intensely. He turns around and walks away from the group a bit, blowing in his hand to cool the welts around the base of the metacarpus. He curses something in Greek before chewing the pain away.

'That was heavy…' he comments complaining. Günther sees the opportunity to mock Aiolos' family again. His hatred towards them comes from the point in time when Aiolos got out of his house. The family and namely the mother, weren't too nice to the stationed Germans in Aiolos' town when Günther so-called "kidnapped" Aiolos. His mother was an influential woman in town and didn't tolerate the German presence one bit. It almost started a small uproar before Aiolos drove off with Xander and Günther in the back of a truck, away from the village. What happened with the uproar, is unknown. It's not that Aiolos ever asked for it.

So Günther simply goes for it: 'You think that's heavy? Have you ever seen your mother?'

Xander can't resist getting a laugh on his face. He tries to hide it as best as possible, having immense trouble with it. Aiolos, pinching his nasal bone, a little sick and tired of all those jokes, comes closer to Günther.

'Mencken.' he starts off easy. You can hear he restrains himself from straight up choking Günther. 'My friend. Could you keep my family out of your jokes next time?'

Günther shrugs indefinite and laughs on a little. He swings his arm around Aiolos and acts carefree. 'Oh Aiolos. It's just too verdammt easy!'

'Uuurgh…' moans Aiolos who knows that the message of his point went out as fast as it got in.

'Listen; the next time you feel the opportunity to joke about my family, just do it, okay?'

'Chit-chat time is over guys.' tells Xander. 'We need to focus on this gate.'

'What do we about it then Xander?' asks Günther as more eyes look upon the Charrführer to find a fitting solution. Xander doesn't need long to figure out a plan. Those explosives strapped to the soldier they just met could be very valuable.

'Soldat. What's your name?' he asks in a harsh way as he puts his arms behind his back, standing like a real commander. A real SS'er. The soldier understands what he needs to do, even if it seems out of context when looked at the environment.

'Franck Groβ, Herr Charrführer.' he marks loud and clear, standing at attention.

'Hmhm… Groβ huh? Well, in my Gruppe you are nothing more than a maggot do you understand? A tiny moth that I'll squash when you don't listen to me. Understood!?'

‚Sehr sicher Herr Charrführer. What are my orders?'

Xander gets a smile on his face, having a menacing tad to it. The right side of his mouth curls up as the position of his eyebrows turn him into a maniac look-alike.

‚You have explosives don't you? Why don't you put that brain of yours to use before I feed it to those monsters when I find out that you have less intelligence than they do!'

Franck understands what needs to be done and places his backpack on the floor close to the gate. He grabs a lot of explosives out of it, leaving only a few in it. He plucks two grenades from the X-shaped belt and straps a small amount of explosives on him, leaving a large pile. The rest is dumped with the backpack on the floor below. He pulls the cords underneath the grenades and knots them together, making them a twin.

‚Stand back!' warns Franck as the three take cover, away from the gate. Franck throws the two grenades towards the backpack and takes cover as well. The 5-second fuse of the grenade was already at three when he threw it and it's at one when Franck takes cover.

The blast is immensely loud, able to pierce ears that weren't covered by hands. The explosion generates some immense heat, instantly melting whatever is in radius within a fraction of a second. That isn't the only thing it does; it seems that the catacombs weren't built to withstand an explosion of that size. The whole structure starts to rumble. Cracks appear in the walls and pillars as whole parts of the ceiling collapse. The hallway Xander came from implodes so to speak, blocking any chance of going back there.

'That might have been too much.' comments Franck in hindsight as the rumbling turns into an average earthquake. He looks up as he hears cracking coming from the ceiling. He sees that the cracks separates in two and comes together a few dozen centimeters further, forming a perfect rock to squash him like a tiny moth as Xander described it.

He looks away from it and holds his helmet on his head, expecting the worst. The earthquake stops and a haunting silence comes to him. It is like living within the moment of shell-shock. But there is no loud beep in his ears. He hears only one last crumble above him before he closes his eyes.

(…)

(…)

**TINK!**

(…)

That's all he hears. He opens his eyes and sees that one small rock, nothing bigger than a pebble come on his helmet. He grabs it from the ground, looking surprised at the size. It's not that he'd wished that it was bigger, but it was certainly not what he expected. He looks up to the ceiling and sees that the rock is stuck. In other words: he lives to see the life of another day.

'That was really anti-climactic.' he comments exhaling for a second time. He rises from his squatted position to show Xander and the rest that he's okay. The Charrführer and his men in the meantime have moved through the gap that was once the gate. Only the outlining is left standing and that's to be interpreted seeing the corroded and molten mush that must qualify as "a gate".

Günther just can't resist it. 'That's one big hole in this thing. Does it remind you of when you were bo- Ho ho ho hey!'

Günther drollery has been stopped as Aiolos has had enough of it. With a threatening wag of the left index finger and his right hand already around the grip of his Luger, he demands Günther to stop. Günther raises his hands with MP40 in the air up to his neck and carefully takes a few very wise steps back.

'Could please stop dragging my mother into every gag of yours?' asks Aiolos most charming. Günther swallows his words, knowing that Aiolos is a cowboy when it comes to the quickdraw. "The Greek Wild West", "Pistolero Kofta" or simply "The Greek Quickdraw" were a few nicknames for this toy box full of tricks. Before Günther could even think of aiming his weapon, Aiolos would have filled him up with the wrong turkey filler.

'Okay. I'll stop.' promises Günther solemn. 'I swear that on my heart and soul.'

'It would surprise me if we even have a heart if we keep standing here and wise crack.' Xander turns around to his friends, currently not too serious while they should be. 'Do I need to remind you how deep in the crap we are?'

'No Xander.' reply the two simultaneously as reality comes blackening in again. Xander turns to Franck.

'Well done Soldat. It seems we don't have to leave you here.' he laughs with a secretive pride in the tone set of his voice. 'Do you know where the exit is? Or where we can find someone who knows where it is?'

Franck nods and points towards the hallway that was originally going to hold position to kill the approaching undead. 'That way and then downstairs. There are more trying to survive this madness. If we go together, we have a better chance of getting there alive.'

'No problem Franck. Günther! Aiolos! We're moving out.'

The four now move on towards the supposed extra soldiers trying to get out of here alive as well. Franck leads the way followed by Xander, Günther and with Aiolos closing the row. But Franck's presence in the team seems to enrage the structure as the walkway they are on crumbles when Franck is only a step away from the door.

The rupture of the bridge starts at the bottom and quickly rushes upwards. Xander spreads his arms horizontally and backs off. His spread arms block Günther and Aiolos from coming any closer and forces them back. Franck had no chance; the moment was too sudden and he fell too fast for Xander to react anything other than the way he did. Franck's screaming was short-lived as well as his face slams into a sharp rock on the floor. With a fatal smack, his extremely short service in Xander's squad ends.

'OH! The humanity!' calls Aiolos disgusted as he hears the entire front side of Franck's skull break. The dead corpse flails on its back, revealing the bloodied and disfigured face of Franck. He's missing a lot teeth, that just a second ago where scattered all over the floor. Nothing is left of his nose; only a large dent in the shape of the sharpened point on the rock he fell on.

Aiolos turns away from the group, this time to finally let the nausea do its work; he empties his stomach on the intersection as he couldn't hold it in. He gasps and pants on his knees before Günther checks up on him.

'You okay buddy?' he asks sympathetic.

Aiolos wipes some slime of his lips that was dangling there for no good reason before turning his face to Günther. 'Danke Günther.' He raises from the floor. 'I'm fine. Thank you.'

'Heh heh. Remind me never to eat any of your local cuisine as the French say it. Ha HA!'

He's referring to the smudge that is mangled within the barf. Aiolos can have a laugh about it before the two come back to Xander.

Xander was standing flash frozen on the edge seeing Franck's corpse when Günther left to check up on Aiolos. The sight gives him an eerie feeling. The same one he had at the excavation site. This could just as well have happened to Günther or Aiolos. Would he have reacted the same way? Was it wrong of him to react the way he did? Can he get his men out of here?

All those question bother his mind and it becomes a heavy burden to carry around. He looks ahead, at the door they were supposed to go through. *He said downstairs huh?*

'Poor guy. Maybe those explosives now took its toll on him.' suggests Günther a little sarcastic as he stands right of Xander. Aiolos joins on his left. 'Anyway… that gap is way too big to jump over.' states Günther.

'I know.' confirms Xander with a plan already in mind. It's snatched out of thin air but it's better than just standing here. 'But he said that there are other downstairs, didn't he?'

'He did. But why is that relevant here?' wonders Aiolos.

Xander points downward. It's only several meters, not more than four. 'That's downstairs, isn't?'

'Das ist quatsch Herr Charrführer!' proclaims Günther with a raised voice. It tones down in the next sentence. 'Something like that is very farfetched don't you agree?'

'If you have any other options Obergefreiter…'

Günther looks around but there is nothing to prove that this farfetched option is the wrong one. The way they came from is blocked off. And even if they got there, the ladder remains split in half on the floor. The other walkways are closes off by similar gates and could just as well splinter like this one did.

'Thought so.' reacts Xander as he carefully lowers himself down. He lands perfectly fine as he turns towards his friends looking over the edge. 'I need you guys to be my overwatch. I'm gonna find us an exit.' He focuses on Aiolos. 'That means don't miss.'

Xander turns around and checks the area. He goes for the explosives dropped down here by Franck earlier. Maybe they can use those for later occasions.

Aiolos on the walkway squats down and aims over Xander's head. He's more nervous than he already was. It can be noticed in his inconsistent and quick breathing and sweat dripping from his forehead. Günther only notices Aiolos' strange demeanor.

'Still a little sick from that image?'

Aiolos shakes his head. 'No. That's not it. It's… what Charrführer Xander just said to me.' he admits a little shameful. He knows what went wrong one of the times that Xander entrusted him with overwatch duty. At all times, success was guaranteed. Except for that one time.

Günther is curious when Aiolos tells him about that exception. Aiolos keeps peering through his sights while telling the story. It seems to calm him down as well as making him emotional.

'Do you remember Sevastopol?'

'Of course I do. It was one of the first missions we did together as a group of four.' It hits him. 'Oh yeah… the four of us.'

The memory strikes hard and relentless. Aiolos wasn't the third member, but the fourth of the group. There always was someone else in the team: 300th tank battalion Unterfeldwebel Edgar Schäfer.

'Edgar…'

'Edgar indeed Günther. And if was my fault.'

'W-what happened then?'

Aiolos looks at Günther's puzzled face. Günther never knew what was going on because they were separated for a brief time. When Günther heard that Edgar was killed, it was fifteen minutes later. Aiolos never came clean about it until now.

'Xavier told me to pop a Soviet artillery spotter to protect a line of six Panzer III tanks that were heading into an outskirt of Sevastopol. It would mean that the siege could be won a little faster if they made it in. Xavier was riding along on the last tank when he gave me the order.'

He takes a deep breath as he delves into the memory he had suppressed for the almost one and a half year. It's something he hoped never to open.

'I had the bastard in sights. They could have thrown everything at me to throw my aim off. They could have shot me, they could have thrown grenades, rocks and sand… whatever. They could have bombed me with mortars, artillery and tank shells! Even throw up a cloud of dust.'

'Then what did? Because those tanks were hammered with artillery.'

'It was a stupid little rock that did it. It broke of a wall. Instinctively, I looked over there to check for danger. I fought it and jittered a little to the right. I pulled the trigger in the middle of it. It missed the spotter's head by a hair. I tried to get my rifle ready to fire again, but it went a lot more awkward than harder than any other time. I did put a bullet in his brain, but it was too late. The first tank… Edgar's tank… was hit by a shell that annihilated the turret. Another hit the frontal armor, as if no one was already dead inside of that tin can.'

'So… that's how it happened huh?'

Aiolos nods a bit, not wanting to throw his aim again. He blames himself it so much. Even worse, was when Xavier survived. The tank saw the other tanks being blown to shreds and took off in reverse. It was just enough. Xavier hopped off while the remaining tank retreated. He looked over the sight of the flaming tanks. No one survived. He looked up at the position where Aiolos was. It was the top floor of a bombed building.

The look… the disappointment. It was miracle that Aiolos was able to stay in the team. Xavier never really forgave him for it. He just dropped it. 'Some things are best when stored and locked up for good Aiolos.' was the message he gave the Greek. 'It never happened, verstanden?'

Aiolos understood it well and he vowed to never miss again. Unless it was meant to be.

'So that's what happened. If feels strangely satisfying to know it now.' comments Günther a tad emotional. 'Thanks for telling me Aiolos.'

It seems he already closed that chapter in his life. All it needed was a proper end and Aiolos just gave it to him. Xander in the meantime has collected the backpack and is now stripping Franck's corpse for his grenades. It feels wrong for him to scavenge of a fellow soldier. So to give the man some honor if he'd ever was to be found, he grabs the dogtags he took from the Blazkowitz and puts them in Franck's hand. As if he took care of him.

'Rest in peace Franck Groβ.' he wishes to him as he rises with all equipment ready. 'Günther. Aiolos. Come down here. We need to find a way out. I got all of Franck's stuff.'

Günther has no trouble in going down to join Xander. 'Geronimo!' he yells as he drops down before Xander hands him some grenades. Aiolos however feels something fishy about this all. He heard a thud coming from behind the wall where Franck dropped the rest of his explosives.

'Aiolos!' calls Günther out. 'Aren't you coming?'

'Someone is close to us…' answers Aiolos vague. Günther looks at Xander and makes a gesture suggesting that Aiolos might have lost his mind.

'What is close to us?' asks Xander. If Aiolos feels something, it might be danger. Aiolos focuses all of his hearing and sight as he aims for the wall. His hunch was right, but incomplete as two walls break. The one where the backpack was found and one where Xander and Günther are standing. Four skeleton warriors burst out of off the two walls, completely surprising Xander and Günther.

Aiolos quickly turns to the warriors attacking Xander and Günther. He cannot miss now, not at this time. A fire awakens in him as a warlord rises within. He will not fail!

He fires the first shot without screaming or uttering anything but an exhale. At the dead point of his heart rate, he fires. The bullet travels to a skeleton armed with a battle-axe and having a Gothic helmet on. The small strip in between its non-existent eyes narrowly misses destruction as the bullet misses that by a hair; instead, it's the right eye-socket of the skeleton that shatters before it exits through the back of its head.

Faster than ever, Aiolos readies the weapon again. He aims and fires within a second and blasts the second skeleton to kingdom come. An extreme relief for Xander and Günther, who see that Aiolos is completely in the zone. So conflicted about keeping the past the past yet having to deal with the cocktail of guilt that is Edgar's death and him leaving his family… it all comes out a fiery display of power.

The other two skeletons aren't spared. Aiolos goes a little more a little more morbid on them. He shoots one skeleton's sword out of its hand before separating the head from the spine with a very accurate shot. And before it even hits the ground, Aiolos already has his weapon ready for the other. He shoots this one in the knee is it was smart enough to cover its face. The skeleton kneels in pain but grins vile at Aiolos, somehow knowing it was his last round. But his grinning degrades very fast when Aiolos shows his quickdraw; why you shouldn't mess with "The Greek Quickdraw".

Four bullets are fired in different places to puncture the upper body of the skeleton. The skeleton is done for and collapses on its back, dropping shield and weapon. Aiolos simply exhales and holsters his Luger. He reloads his Kar98K before jumping down.

Xander and Günther don't know what they have seen but it saved their lives for sure. 'Thanks Aiolos. Whatever **that** was up there…' comments Günther a little discouraged by Aiolos' calm charisma. He should be dead tired. Guess that's why he's a toy box full of tricks. One time he's this, then he's that.

'No thanks Günther.' replies Aiolos completely casual. He gives him a friendly and humble smile, as if it was nothing. Xander can appreciate his humbleness; it means he doesn't see himself as too important for the others.

*That's humanity.* he goes by himself before he's forced to focus on a blood-gurgling scream coming from behind the broken wall where the backpack was. It seems that a dark hallway was behind it. And someone must have encountered the skeletons' friends. *It seems we need to show some humanity to some unholy creatures.* he thinks persistent as he cocks his MP40.


	3. Hard to trust

After Franck's death and after Aiolos went a little overboard, the three soldiers find themselves in another rescue operation. This time coming from a dark corridor...  


**Chapter 3: Hard to trust**

'Do I need to take point?' asks Aiolos thinking that Xander is going for the same approach as the way to the excavation site. Xander has other plans however. He saw very well how Aiolos just shook off his eruption like it was nothing more than dust.

'No. You're not taking point now. This corridor is too tight. Günther and I will do it.'

Aiolos can't believe the words coming out of his friends mouth. 'Too tight? That's nonsense Charrführer and you know that. There has to be a better reason.'

Xander hates to break it to him but he has to. 'It is because I've seen what you did just a few moments ago. It's impossible that you just put it away like that...' Xander can't finish his addressing before he's interrupted by the same scream that drew their attention at first. 'Günther. Go save that crybaby.' he commands a little agitated.

'On it Charrführer.' says Günther as he runs towards whoever is in need of aid. Xander gestures with strong words that Aiolos needs to stay put and guard this area. Even take a rest when he feels like it. 'I don't know what drove you back there, but you cannot expect me to take you along and when suddenly the exhaustion does hit you, to get you out of a precarious situation.'

Aiolos has to live with those words as he sees Xander enter the corridor, following Günther who's currently peaking around the corner. Xander stands next to him; 'What do you see?'

'One table with stone tablets, construction lights, torches and one skeleton warrior. Battle-axe and a shield. Ready to make a cove into a scientist' He turns to Xander and peeks over his shoulder, seeing Aiolos kicking some sand up. He doesn't look happy. 'Why isn't he with us?'

'Because.' answers Xander, giving a signal that he doesn't want to go any deeper into it. 'Just focus on that skeleton.'

The skeleton is standing over the scientist, who's cringing in the corner of the room he was just doing research in. He holds up his arms in front of his face in an effort to protect himself. The skeleton holds its battle-axe high up in the air, ready to hew through the pity human's skull. His plans are however thwarted when Xander fires with his MP40 on him.

It grunts a bit, before turning around. He lays his eyes upon Xander, the serious look on his face reflecting in the glassy yellow puddle that should have been its eyes a long time ago. It growls and points it battle-axe at Xander.

But not before an unexpected 9MM round cuts it way through its empty skull. The bullet makes a dent in the back of the helmet and drops on the ground, falling in between the crack of blown skull and the helmet. The skeleton does the same and makes a merciless smack, teeth first, onto the floor.

'And then they say that only Aiolos is capable of such beauties.' snickers Günther ego-stroking from a ducked position. It's something he does deserve.

As he sits there, a little dreamy, Xander moves into the room. To bring relief to the scientist, weeping and begging for his life. It's great that's not for his mommy, otherwise it would have been awkward.

'...Nein... Bitte... don't kill me... P-please...'

The weeping continues on like that. Xander makes several attempts at communication with the men and third is a charm. 'You're save now. That creature is dead.' he assures the scientist who got a little hiccup from all the fear he had to go through.

The scientist withdraws his arms a little to look upon Xander's face. He reaches him a hand to help him back up his feet. The scientist denies it at first, wanting to get rid of that awkward hiccup first. This gives Xander some time to tell Günther with a simple wag of the finger to make sure that skeleton is dust. Once that's done, he turns back to the scientist.

He's an older looking fellow, either in his late 30's or early 40's. His hair is light grey and not very plentiful. It's enhanced by a reduced hairline showing most of the forehead. He wears a pair of round glasses and a blue suit and black tie combo. The eagle with the Nazi-swastika is displayed just above his left pocket pooch. The shirt he wears underneath is plain white, the definition of plain.

A little ramshackle, he stands up on his own, declining Xander's helping hand a second time. He does it a little irritated and naggy, as if he was something more than Xander. He dusts himself off before seeing the SS-insignia and the symbols that show that Xander is something more than just a regular soldier.

'I'm sorry for my agitated behavior. I'm not so trustworthy around men with guns.' he apologizes half.

'I'd worry more about decomposed bodies trying to cleave you.' comments Günther as he stands next to Xander.

'Hmph...' He turns to Xander, seemingly the intelligent person here. The beard that Günther has doesn't fancy his taste. 'My name is Carl Godfried. I'm a scientist here.'

'I already figured thanks to your attire.' says Xander. 'But weren't all scientists here assigned with a security detail?'

Carl grunts a little agitated, as if the words "security" and "detail" together formed a bad ballad. He walks towards the table where the tablets are lying on and places one hand on it before he tells the two what happened here.

'I had a detail… indeed... I **had** one. Pfff... personal is hard to trust these days. I simply turned around to examine these stones a little better. It was nothing more than 10 seconds. 10 seconds! I turned around and they were gone.' A shiver runs over his back as he thinks back at the way he felt then. 'I-I tried to continue my research. A-and I nearly finished it too…'

'Until this guy fell from the roof?' suggests Günther looking at a hole in the ceiling. He's impressed and dazed at the force that must have cost. Then again, these things are undead. Something other than normal strength is driving them.

'Indeed…' confirms Carl in an interrupted manner. He didn't like it one bit that someone as Günther interrupted him. He glares at him but looks away when Günther tries to make it mutual.

Xander has seen enough of this room. It's a dead-end and the walls on each side have four panels that look like drawers from a morgue. It gives him the creeps as he notices that one of them is actually open and empty. It's a way out, leading to a cramped room behind the wall.

'Aiolos!' he calls to the left behind Greek, still at the entrance. 'Come here. We're going.'

He hears no response, only shuffling coming closer. Not trusting this one bit, he orders with a hand gesture to Günther to guard this area while he goes to check if Aiolos is okay.

'Aiolos?' he calls out as he enters the dark corridor again. The shuffling is getting closer and he hears some added, heavy breathing. *Aiolos I swear... If this is a joke then I'll personally…* 'WOAH!' he exclaims a little overwhelmed when Aiolos throws himself onto him, clinging around his shoulders. He feels very weak and pants inhumanely.

'H-help me… Xander…' he pleads before his legs collapse under the pressure of his body. He's now hanging on Xander's shoulders like useless ragdoll. Xander has a lot of trouble keeping Aiolos from falling face down on the floor.

'Hrrg… you're heavy Aiolos.' he comments having a hard time as Aiolos's left hand slips off Xander's shoulder and claws into the sleeve of Xander's jacket.

'I- saw… a man… Franck… I-I… saw…' says Aiolos very slurry. Xander can't make anything out of it.

*Argh! He's talking gibberish.* 'Phfew… Günther! Help me a hand!'

When Günther notices this occurrence, he forgets all about the gap in the ceiling and the himself superior deeming scientist and rushes towards Xander's aid. He lifts Aiolos' left arm up and throws it over his shoulder. Xander takes responsibility over Aiolos' right arm and together they carry the weakened Greek inside the room.

'Set him down against that wall.' orders Xander as he turns to Carl once Aiolos is set. Günther stays with him and tries to keep him with the living. 'Carl. Are you by any chance also a doctor?'

'Not exactly… but I know one thing about human anatomy. If you want… I could give it a try?'

The uncertainty of Carl concerns Xander for the wellbeing of Aiolos. He hasn't seen what happened with Aiolos back there and he doesn't know what Carl means with "one thing about human anatomy". It all sounds awfully shady and dark.

But when Günther opens Aiolos' right eye, he alerts Xander of something horrendous; 'OH SCHEIβE! That's the worst case of pinkeye I've ever seen.' he concludes looking at an eye that's filled with more red and swollen veins than a normal pinkeye.

'Argh…' complains Xander as Carl keeps insisting with some sick interest in Aiolos. As if he's nothing than a specimen. '…Carl? You go check on him…'

Rubbing his hands with excitement, he approaches Aiolos. He shoves Günther out of the way and examines Aiolos' infected eye. Günther want to retaliate with a blow of his weapon stock, but Xander stops it. He gestures to hold, but not to put away. In case Carl starts to do something stupid.

'Hmm… ahuh… very interesting. Say… Aiolos was it? Do you know how you got this?' asks Carl as this is indeed a rare case of pinkeye. Not only are their swollen veins, but also tiny black particles that float around in the white of his eye.

'N-no… No clue doc.' answers Aiolos dazed and weak. He can barely see with that eye and he keeps the other closed.

'What do you mean doc? This is just pinkeye, right?' implies Günther.

Carl sighs at Günther limited intelligence about infections. 'Nein you Dummkopf. Pinkeye is not something that comes up out of nowhere. Pah! What I have to deal with here…'

Xander has to hold an infuriated Günther back and takes him for a little walk. 'Hey man. Take it a little easy with this guy.' he gestures.

'But Xander. He called me a Dummkopf! This guy deserves an old-fashioned beat 'em up!'

'The man is indeed something off the charts. But it's the best we have up until now.'

Günther sighs resisting, knowing that Xander is right. 'Ja Herr. Yuk! I hate this so much…' he complains as he stalks off.

'Hey Günther.' calls Xander after him. 'We'll ditch him the very moment we find someone more capable.' he winks at his buddy. It puts a smile on Günther's face, who's already visualizing the gruesome ways in which he can ditch Carl. The both of them return to Carl, who has risen from examining Aiolos. He turns around and faces Xander and Günther with relatively good news.

'It's not deadly.' he diagnoses, releasing the most important detail of all. 'And it is somehow… temporary.' he adds a little doubtful. Though it's based on the face that the black particles were disintegrating and the veins shrunk to their original sizes.

'Temporary as in… it's gone now?' inquires Xander.

Carl nods as he wipes his hands clean from some liquid that oozed onto his hand when he was examining. 'Indeed. Say, has he been displaying any odd behavioral treats?'

'You mean that shooting thingy?' comments Günther trying to add to the conversation.

Carl has trouble not calling him a stupid orang-utan as the question was actually meant for Xander. He replies with the same when Günther doesn't get an answer. He tells Carl about Aiolos' stunt. From the clean start to the more psychopathic execution of the last. That is what Carl considers an answer.

'That are what I call symptoms. What else?' *Viellicht this could be the Übermensch-serum we have been searching for so long!*

'Reactivity, alertness and stamina were increased. That was what I saw.' tells Xander. Carl likes it a lot. He asks on about anything else but that's all that Xander can come up with. It's a slight disappointment for Carl but he has a theory.

'Aiolos?' he asks to the Greek who feels better all of the sudden. He tries to stand up as Xander and Günther help him up. They make him look a little more presentable.

'Yes doc?' he answers ignorant over the scientist's true intentions.

'Did you, by any chance, come in contact with any of the beings? I can tell it from that bloodstain on your cheek.'

Aiolos doesn't like bringing it up again, but if it helps... 'Not directly. This blood was from someone else, the man who took the blow for me.'

'Did you ingest some?' he asks awfully curious.

'What's that for a question?!' replies Aiolos attacked and uncomfortable. 'How should I have known? I was more troubled with getting away from that thing than anything else you prick!'

*Hmm… very resisting. Despite that, Aiolos is the perfect specimen to test on. My security detail was unresponsive and idiotic to not be willing to take part in my studies. I've learned so much about this process thanks to the tablets and they didn't see what privilege they had. Though those findings might have been the reason they ran in the first place… Anyhow, I must find a way to stay close to this Greek until I've taken care of his superior and that bearded caveman.* thinks Carl with greater plans in mind. If Aiolos indeed ingested infected blood, that might have been the why he acted like a superhuman for a little while.

The concept, the idea of the Übermensch has always fascinated Carl. He's a complete slave to the Nazi ideology. Maybe that's why he respects Xander more than Günther. Not wearing a helmet is against regulations. But his respect for Xander disappears quickly when he proposes to the three to stay here. Stating his own safety as an excuse to stay close to Aiolos.

'No way Carl.' dismisses Xander in regard to his own men. 'We were simply here to rescue whoever was crying here, not to stay with someone who has no single bit respect for my men. Treating one like a Hohlkopf and the other as some… you know what?' He rests his case, knowing that Carl got the message for insulting his friends and having Günther and Aiolos know that he's got their backs. 'If you choose to stay here, fine! But we are leaving. Come on men.'

Aiolos and Günther follow that order perfectly as that open hole in the wall suddenly seems a lot more tempting.

'But wait!' shouts Carl. 'That is desertion! That is against the Reich's orders! Let alone Helga's!'

Helga von Burlow, a female fat clot of madness and bossy behavior that you can barely distinguish from a bear. Her longing for power of some ancient artifact is what probably got them into this mess. But Carl seems very loyal to her orders.

'We don't care for that any longer.' comments Günther with a hateful tone towards any quoted order that comes out of Carl's mouth. 'It's better to save our own then to perish here and become a Festmahl for these… things.'

'But I **need** to stay here!' claims Carl as he too signals that he has no care for Helga's orders. It was the Reich's order for him to research here. Helga had to allow it. 'I have to complete my research on these tablets!'

'As you wish.' says Aiolos very simple and cold. 'But we're out of here. Good luck finding someone who likes your treatment du Vollidiot!' he scoffs harsh at Carl.

It's the first time Aiolos uses a German curse word. It feels kind of powerful and relieving for him. Günther guides him away before Aiolos can say anything else, to protect himself from himself.

Carl sees Aiolos walk away right before his eyes but he also sees a great opportunity. If he plays along, he can not only still acquire Aiolos for himself when the time comes, but he can still report desertion to the High Command in Berlin. Combined with the possible discovery of the way to create Das Übermensch, he could get the recognition he was always craving for.

He quickly grabs his notebook out of his back pocket and scribbles some notes down quickly while notifying Xander that he's coming along. Xander thinks it's fine for now as he lets Günther go in the hole first, followed by Aiolos and then himself.

'Wait for me!' calls Carl after when he puts his notebook back where it came from. Walking as he does that, it goes with trouble. One piece of paper is in the way and is ripped off when he puts it in.

The way Carl scribbled the note down on a page was fast and hard. It made an impression on the page underneath it. The words imprinted on it read: _Note t... self. Acquire ... blood sample of the Greek. Get rid ... Bartaffe (bearded ape) Günther. Turn ... Charrführer Xander for de...e...tion.  
_

The now four find themselves in a room that's barely filled. There is only one grave and that has been broken open. There is a little blood splatter on the floor, suggesting that those men from the detail didn't make it very far unscratched. The ceiling in the back and the middle has been completely annihilated, lying on the floor as an enormous pile of rubble.

'This is a way back up. Aren't we supposed to go down?' inquires Aiolos glad to be back in the game.

'It's our only way now.' says Xander as he takes point moving up. He's faced with two closed graves, luckily. The sight startled him for a second but when he sees a doorway to his left, he's glad to see a way out.

'This way everyone. We're getting out of here.' he says as they have to walk down a set of stairs and turn to the right. It's another T-intersection. Or go left, back to the walkways or up another set of stairs. Xander quickly decides to get back to walkways, to find a way out. To his and everyone's surprise, the part of the bridge that was blown up, has been repaired a bit. Wooden boards on a structure of more wood seem to form a solid construction.

'That… that's impossible!' claims Günther surprised. 'That was the part where Franck was splattered, right?'

Xander looks over the edge and sees no trace of Franck's body. On the other side of it, no trace of the leftover explosives. It's impossible that Franck's body would disappear, along with the explosives and that a bridge was suddenly rebuild for them to move over.

'This is crazy! And when I find out who is playing with us, I'll gonna keelhaul that Tröpfe.' swears Xander with risen fist. 'But now, we need to get out of here.' He turns to his friends and Carl. 'Is anyone bothered by what I just said?'

All shake their heads.

'Excellent. Come on then.'

Xander sets his first step on the wooden bridge. It's a lot smaller than the walkway it was before but it's stable and doesn't feel like collapsing anytime soon. At last, they'll find the way to the others that Franck specified.

Closer to the exit. It's something that Xander could only have dreamt about a few minutes ago when the bridge, along with Franck and the whole idea of escaping crumbled before his eyes. Aiolos and Günther can share the same thought while Carl is more puzzled about why they were so surprised that the wooden construction was there. If it is there, then it is there right?

Before they reach the long desired exit, the floor down below begins to rumble a bit. Within the blink of an eye, enormous deadly spikes erupt from the ground. They are densely placed, to make sure that even falling in between would cause death.

'Now I'm sure of it! This place is alive!' concludes Xander trying to hide his panic as best as possible.

Suddenly, the spikes aren't his problem anymore; he hears someone coming from a set of stairs. It's slow and tedious, much like the taunting skeletons in the excavation room with the broken ladder. Xander aims his MP40 in front of him, ready to greet whatever is coming for them.

_Charrführer Xander van Acker._ says an echoing and dark voice as Franck's body, controlled by a dozen of skull-shaped souls that float all around him comes down the stairs. His face is still as mutilated as possibly could be. _Yes. I know your name._

Xander and the others are in shock seeing Franck somewhat alive. His arms hang like bags of salt and his eyes are empty. Only the white is visible. The remaining explosives that were missing are strapped around Franck's stomach area.

'Franck… but how?' wonders Günther more stunned then curious. Aiolos stands frozen when he realizes that he saw Franck stand up and walk towards the explosives. He tried to warn Xander but was too weak to communicate properly.

_Silence you all! I've taken control of this heap of flesh and bones to communicate with you, Xander. And yes, I've build this construction for when you were wondering. I admire your loyalty towards your men. As a leader myself, I can relate. But you will never leave this place alive. So I suggest you tell your men the truth._

Xander clenches his teeth together and grates them. All he wanted was the keep the morale of his men stable. Taking Carl with him was already a dent but now that Franck's body, standing before then, is taken over by some being who strapped explosives around the middle?

'Men...' he starts up while the grating stops and turns into an accepting smile. Who, on its turn, transforms in a smirk. '... we're gonna live.'

'Sehr korrekt!' shouts Carl all of the sudden from the back. Sick of all the melodramatic acting of both Xander and Franck, who according to the rational mindset of Carl is probably just pranking, he grabs Günther's Luger out of its holster. Günther tries to retaliate but is hit in the head with the grip of the pistol. Aiolos turns to Carl to take him out but suffers the same fate. And before Xander can do anything, it hits him as well.

He strikes the stone walkway relentlessly hard as he sees that Carl is walking towards Franck, having his head targeted in between the iron sights of the Luger. Xander tries to reach for Carl's trouser leg, but he's already too far. He's incapable of stopping him.

'I refuse to die here!' states Carl more afraid than powerful and threatening. His hand holding the Luger shakes, throwing his aim off a little. He's afraid to focus his view by closing one eye. Maybe that Franck guy might do something in the meantime. It's highly unlikely but what if rationality doesn't have any business here? He too sees the skull-shaped and ghostly beings circle all around him.

_And who is this mite? _speaks Franck ridiculing. _With those cranky muscles you wouldn't even qualify as a weapon servant!_

'I don't k-know what you are. I don't know if this is real or just a vision... but I know that I'm not gonna be buried here! And besides, you're not gonna blow yourself up now, would you?' he suddenly suggests manipulative, thinking that he can control Franck's behavior. 'You're messing with the wrong host. That is a soldier of the Drittes Reich and his loyalty extends your control!'

But Carl has to swallow those words when Franck reaches for the cord on the explosives. He looks up and says with his own voice: 'For you my King **Heinrich**!'

Carl reacts quickly and takes shelter just next to the opening. A second later, Franck pulls the cord. It triggers an enormous explosion that blows Xander, Günther and Aiolos away. Xander's last look when he comes back on the ground after having flown for a bit, is on his men. Both look pretty whole for survivors of such an explosion. His vision blacks out...

(...) A few hours later (...)

Faint footsteps can be heard coming from before his very face. They stop for a moment to replace the sound with something that has its cap removed. The footsteps continue for a few more steps before stopping again. He hears some vague sentences being said but he can't make out what it is said.

*What... what is going on?* he asks himself as he slowly opens his eyes. His vision is blurry for second but when it clears up, he sees that Carl is standing squatted over Aiolos, just coming by. He sticks a needle into Aiolos' arm and extracts some blood.

'That's good. This will grant me the recognition I deserve for all my services to the Reich!' he remarks looking at the specimen. He looks down to Aiolos and gives him a creepy smile. 'It seems I don't need you any longer.'

Günther, who woke up simultaneously with Xander, stands up while trying to clear his head from a haze hanging around him. When he hears that Carl intends to ditch Aiolos, he quickly turns to Carl. But too late; as Aiolos lied close to the edge of the walkway, Carl simply has the kick him off. Unable to stop him, Aiolos fall over the edge. Günther, quick with his reacting, runs to his aid and grabs his hand at the very last second.

'Aargh! I... I gotcha!' he says to a rather dumbstruck Aiolos, dangling over lethal spikes.

Carl is satisfied and walks away with the sample in his hands. He notices out of the corner of his eye that Xander has come by, reacting very judging at his action. And when Günther's grip on Aiolos' hand begins to slip and he starts to call for help, the judging turns into hatred. Carl draws his Luger, aiming for Xander's face while wagging his free index finger.

'Nein nein Xander. You are not going to rescue your men. Instead, you're coming with me. Otherwise, I'll simply kill you.' threatens Carl very superior. He kneels before Xander, almost putting the barrel into his eye. 'That... is a promise I can keep.' he snickers, mocking Xander's earlier words.

Xander stands before yet another dilemma. But this one is resolved very quickly; he would give his life for his men. He stands up and sprints away all within a flash. Carl didn't see that coming, throwing his aim off tremendously. He pulls the trigger like he promised but the bullet lands in Xander's right upper arm. It stings more than it actually hurts.

Carl didn't expect the recoil and stumbles backwards. Only to trip over a loose tile and land on the back of his head, putting him out of business.

Xander dives for Günther's and Aiolos' aid just before Günther's grip is lost completely. Though his arm hurts incredibly, he has no intention of letting go. Together, they slowly pull Aiolos up and prevent his death.

'I got it myself.' tells Xander. 'Keep an eye out on that betraying scientist.'

Günther agrees with a nod as he lets go of Aiolos, overtaken by Xander and begins to approach the knocked down Carl in a very angry mood set. Xander pulls Aiolos over the edge, who it hits that all this just happened. For him, it was like experiencing this all through the eyes of someone else. He gasps out of the late shock before realizing he's fine.

Xander helps him up after regaining his breath. 'How are you feeling Aiolos?'

'Could be better...' he sighs deep. 'Thanks for saving me. I know I kinda acting like some wimp this whole time...' he excuses himself for his inadequate involvement in helping Xander and Günther through.

'It's not your fault Aiolos. I would react the same if I was in this situation.' he assures his friend as together they walk towards Günther who has a dazed Carl at gunpoint. Before his eyes looking up, they begin to discuss what to do with him.

'That's a good question Günther.' says Xander sarcastic, already knowing what he wants to do with Carl. He wants to shove his head down where the sun don't shine. But just to make sure that no one is excluded from the debate, he turns to Aiolos, the biggest victim of Carl's idiocy. 'What do you think Aiolos?'

The Greek kneels down before Carl, just like he did a few hours ago. He tilts his head to his right as he observes the pathetic excuse for a man. Whatever he can come up with, wouldn't come close to redemption or any sort of punishment that would made up for his insanity.

'To be honest Xander... I leave that to you.' says Aiolos as he stands up. Xander says one last thing to Carl before kicking him unconscious: 'Good personal is sooooo hard to trust these days.'

Hope you enjoyed another Wolfenstein chapter. Be sure to leave a favorite, follow and/or review. It really helps ;)


End file.
